10 Gender Neutral Baby Names For Parents Who Are Into Music

Music makes the world go round, heavily influencing so many of our lives. It makes us smile when we're feeling blue and gives us strength in moments of weakness, so it comes as no surprise that parents might turn to their favorite musical talents when thinking of baby names; furthermore, in this day and age, more and more parents-to-be are in the mood to defy gender norms. All it takes is a little brainstorming and creativity to come up with the perfect musical gender neutral baby names if you're a parent who loves to jam. While some names have already been accepted as appropriate for both boys and girls, today's younger parents are getting especially brave and turning to a bunch of new monikers, all of which are incredibly cool-sounding.

The country's most popular baby names are so greatly shaped by celebrities, athletes, and other notable figures that we see in the media and look up to. I remember when Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes named their daughter Suri — I ran into more than a couple Suris after that. It's the same reason why the Twilight craze led to who knows how many daughters named Bella (which I still think is beautiful). If you want your little one to have a name that means something special and reflects an important part of your life, start with these gender neutral names inspired by someone in the music industry.

2. Jordan

JordinSparksVEVO on YouTube

The spelling varies, and singer and American Idol alum Jordin Sparks has her own unique approach. The traditional Hebrew "Jordan" comes from the river that flows between Jordan and Israel and means "descend" or "flow down."

3. Maxwell

maxwellVEVO on YouTube

Maxwell (real name Gerald Maxwell Rivera) has won over millions with his smooth voice. Songstress Jessica Simpson showed it was a fitting name for her daughter, born in 2012. I actually thought Maxwell was a woman when I fell in love with "This Woman's Work." The name is of Scottish origin and means "great stream."

10. Ryan

lavalamp77 on YouTube

Believe or not, Ryan is gender neutral, as we earlier learned from Ryan Starr when she appeared on American Idol in its first season. The name is of Irish origins and was derived from the phrase "descendant of the little king."